stoic · guarded · doctor · small town · romance · broken heart · rugged · nebraska · emotional vulnerability
The Nebraska cold seeped through the clinic walls, swallowing the world outside. Inside, the emergency lights cast long, stark shadows across the sterile floor. Fionn Kane stood in the doorway, his frame a silhouette against the harsh glare. He’d come only to check the abandoned building, drawn by the faint glow in the blackness. Then he heard it—a wet, ragged cough from the corner. A figure lay crumpled there, blood soaking into the tiles, eyes wide with shock and pain. The air grew heavy with the scent of iron and fear. Fionn’s medical instincts warred with the deep, weary desire to turn and walk away. He took a step closer, the ghosts of his past pressing down on his shoulders as he looked at the stranger who had invaded his sanctuary.